Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

[jbear]

On guitars with stoptails, do you unscrew the studs until the string doesn't contact the bridge (assuming one or more strings are touching)? I am curious as to whether the guitar is designed to have those studs screwed down until they are down tight. I guess I can try it with one or two instruments, but...before I start screwing with stuff and having to resetup...figured I'd ask. I don't want to top-wrap, which I realize is another technique that some use.
Thanks folks!

 

[baritone]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

When I first get a guitar, the tailpiece usually seems to be set in a middle position, held tight by string tension. I always screw it down all the way, medium tight, and adjust the tuneomatic separately for playability. I haven't broken a string in many years, so I'm not too worried about what a string is touching beyond the saddles.

 

[jbear]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

Thanks for responding. A couple of questions for you...
-"Screw it down all the way" "medium tight"...those seem to be contradictory. Am I misunderstanding?
-If I lower the bridge and get that where there's no buzz, but the string is in contact with the bridge. I can't lower it any more, I'd need to raise the TP...right?
-Am I even correct in assuming that it matters whether or not the strings touch the bridge? I am wonder from a tone perspective.
Sorry...I'm really inquisitive this evening.
Thanks again!

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

Some say that if the string touches the back of the bridge you will get some unwanted vibration tonal effects. I'm not totally sure, but I also don't want to take the chance. Just in case.

I also don't like top-wrapping the tailpiece because some strings have long windings at the ball end and if top-wrapped the end of the string pokes my hand while playing.

But I like things tightened down to gain as much tone and sustain as possible.

So what I do is to adjust the bridge for the action that I like, then adjust the tailpiece so the strings just don't touch the back of the bridge. I measure how high the stud is from the guitar body, and I put in the appropriate number of chrome plated washers so the tailpiece can be securely tightened down on the washers and the strings still clear the back of the bridge.

 

[jbear]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

That is really interesting. I may give it a shot.
I've never even thought about it before, but apparently...I have too much free time at the moment.

 

[erksin]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

If yours have ABR-1 style bridges with the skinnier posts, having strings contact the back of the bridge can over time bend them forward or even sink the bridge itself in the middle if you use heavy gauge strings.

Having the strings contact the back of the bridge adds another point of friction that can cause tuning issues as well. Best to raise the stoptail a little to avoid contact, or go the top-wrapping route.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

i have it just high enough so they only touch the saddle

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

The string(s) shouldn't touch the edge of the bridge...raise the tailpiece or top wrap, the end of the story is that the strings should only contact the bridge at the saddle.

 

[baritone]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

I set the tailpiece as close to the body as possible. I screw down the fat bolts so they sit in place and don't jiggle, even without strings on, and I leave it like that. I never worried about whether the strings touch the back of the tuneomatic bridge. I just checked, and I don't have any extra contact with the bridge. Either way, I really don't see how it would make any difference.

 

[hydro]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

If the stop tailpiece is too high it can be uncomfortable/awkward to play if you brace your outer palm on the tailpiece like I do.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

Traditionally I've always screwed the tailpiece down tight and top-wrapped. When I built my Les Paul-based guitar, i spent a lot of time making life-size drawings to calculate a neck-to-body angle that would allow me to have the tailpiece screwed all the way down so that the strings cleared the back of the bridge without needing to be top-wrapped. It means the bridge sits closer to the body than on most LPs, which i think is an improvement (I never understood why the bridges on LPs seem to be so high off the body).

 

[blueman335]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

When I first get a guitar, the tailpiece usually seems to be set in a middle position, held tight by string tension. I always screw it down all the way, medium tight, and adjust the tuneomatic separately for playability. I haven't broken a string in many years, so I'm not too worried about what a string is touching beyond the saddles.

+1. I want my stop bars all the way down so they transfer the most vibrations to the wood and PU's. I also overwrap the strings, which reduces the string angle from the stop bar to the bridge.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

A properly built gibson (neck joint, and angle) will allow you to deck the tp without the strings contacting the back of the bridge, and notneeding to top wrap. However only Historics are built this way anymore. Production models can be all kinds of wonky. IME decking the TP is a big improvement for tone.and tension..when the TP goes up, the strings get rubber band like and bouncy in a bad way.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

I never understood why the bridges on LPs seem to be so high off the body.

The angled headstock and angled neck on Gibsons creates more string tension for the shorter scale they use. When Leo put them all on the same plane, he had to go to a longer scale to keep the strings tight enough to stay in place in the nut slots and saddles. Even then he still wound up with string trees. Having the body/neck/headstock on the same plane allowed for use of bolt-on necks, which are much easier and cheaper to install.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

Traditionally I've always screwed the tailpiece down tight and top-wrapped. When I built my Les Paul-based guitar, i spent a lot of time making life-size drawings to calculate a neck-to-body angle that would allow me to have the tailpiece screwed all the way down so that the strings cleared the back of the bridge without needing to be top-wrapped. It means the bridge sits closer to the body than on most LPs, which i think is an improvement (I never understood why the bridges on LPs seem to be so high off the body).

Because, as jeffb pointed out, this is a design flaw which Gibson only feels the need to address on their really really expensive models. Apparently it's not important enough on models that are only expensive.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

I have too much free time at the moment.
royal1688

Obviously. Anything you would like to add to this zombie thread?

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Do You Raise Your Tailpiece?

Deleted.

Zombie bit me. ******, that rarely happens.